


Change of Heart

by hpstrangelove



Category: The Administration - Manna
Genre: Dubious Consent, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-18
Updated: 2009-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-04 12:54:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpstrangelove/pseuds/hpstrangelove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Warrick has taken sexual advantage of Toreth in the sim, Toreth invites Warrick to dinner so that he can 'pay him back'.  Warrick accepts, but then later has a change of heart and leaves a message for Toreth at the hotel, canceling. Warrick should have known a phone call wouldn't end things there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change of Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Keraha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keraha/gifts).



> I assume that the reader has some knowledge of the first book in the Administration series, Mind Fuck, along with some of the terms, technology, and politics of their world. However, you can still enjoy this story without knowing what any of these things are. And I have to say that I'm pretty apprehensive about writing in this fandom. Manna does such a perfect job of creating her characters and the world in which they live – what can I add to it? Well, I haven't. What I wrote is an alternative scene to Chapter Six of Mind Fuck. Instead of Warrick and Toreth having dinner together, Warrick decides to cancel.
> 
> This is my Yuletide 2009 entry, written for keraha, who is participating for the first time. Anyone who appreciates the Administration Series has a special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Many thanks to JW for SPaG, and to SP for support on characterization.

~*~

**Change of Heart**

Warrick was deep in thought as he walked out to the car park. He wished Kelly had let him give her a ride home. She didn't live far, but even so – the walk there wasn't through the safest of areas. She'd claimed she still had work to do, though, so he'd said goodnight and left her to it.

His encounter with Toth – no, Toreth, he had to remind himself – had unnerved him more than he'd expected. He felt a brief flash of guilt over what he'd done to the man in the sim, then dismissed it. He couldn't change what had happened now. It'd been insane – playing with fire like that – but he hadn't been able to resist the chance to take advantage of the opportunity when it had presented itself. Accepting Toreth's invitation to dinner, though, had been the height of stupidity. At least he'd recovered his common sense and left a message at the hotel, canceling, once he'd confirmed the man's true identity as Valantin Toreth, and his true profession as a para-investigator.

He should have felt relief at narrowly escaping – what? Making it easy for the man to exact his revenge? It was obvious that was what Toreth wanted – he'd said as much: _"I'd like to pay you back." _ Warrick had humiliated the man, had totally controlled him, had made him beg… Of course he'd wanted to return the 'favor'. But Toreth was an unknown entity. He legally tortured people for a living, and as much as the fantasy of being at the mercy of the man made his cock hard, he knew that the reality of a situation was often quite different. He simply couldn't take the chance of being alone with him. Unlike the sim, there were no safety measures in place to keep Toreth from going too far.

But it didn't matter what his brain kept telling him. He still felt disappointed that once again, he'd chosen to play it safe.

He'd planned to work until ten to take his mind off of what could have been an interesting and unique evening with Toreth, but after the third time he'd caught himself staring at the computer screen, thinking about how Toreth's face had looked in the sim as he came in Warrick's mouth, he'd given up and decided to call it a day.

So here he was, on his way home, alone, and it thoroughly depressed him. It was rare that he doubted the choices that he made in his life, but this time he couldn't help but think that twenty or thirty years down the road, he'd be looking back on this one with regret.

He began to press the six-digit code into the keypad of the car door to unlock it, but before he'd entered the fourth digit, he felt the presence of someone behind him, and smiled knowingly.

He'd been naive to think a simple phone call would have ended things.

"Your message said that you were working late."

Warrick turned his head slightly to the side. "I'd planned to," he told Toreth, who was standing close, but not too close to be threatening – yet, "but I couldn't concentrate. I had other – things – on my mind."

Warrick still had his fingers poised above the keypad. He could try and punch in the last two numbers, but he'd never get the door open, let alone get inside before Toreth would be on him. He wasn't concerned that Toreth was planning on killing him – the man knew better than to mess with a corporate like that. Besides, what had happened in the sim didn't warrant that sort of extreme retribution. But he also didn't doubt that Toreth would want to hurt him in some way, to control him, to do to him exactly what he'd done to Toreth.

"So come to dinner with me now. It's early enough. We've plenty of time to – talk – about what went on in the sim."

Warrick knew Toreth had no intention of talking about anything. Toreth stepped closer as he spoke and pressed lightly up along Warrick's back. He placed his hands against the car, one arm on either side of Warrick's head, effectively trapping him there.

"I…I don't think that's a good idea," Warrick replied, unable to keep the breathiness out of his voice.

Toreth leaned down, whispering hotly in Warrick's ear. "It wasn't such a good idea for you to do to me what you did in the sim, either, but that didn't stop you, now did it?"

Warrick's breath hitched, and he was unable to stop the shiver that went down his spine as Toreth continued to talk. "You obviously knew what I did for a living. Did you think I'd just walk away, forget about it? No – that's not what you thought at all, is it? As much as you enjoyed being in control, the real reason you took advantage of me was because you _knew_ I'd want to pay you back for it. You _knew_ I'd want to do the same to you – and more. Canceling dinner only ensured I'd come looking for you."

Toreth was leaning in so close now that Warrick had to place his hands up on the car window to keep his balance. He thought about what Toreth was saying, and considered for a moment if it might be true. He'd certainly never done anything like it before with anyone else in the sim, but then again, he'd never had anyone as attractive – and dangerous – as Toreth either. He loved showing off the sim and what it could do. The wonder and admiration he'd seen in Toreth's eyes had been rewarding. But the blow-job, holding Toreth's body immobile, keeping him captive, making him beg – that had been a spur of the moment thing. Hadn't it? Was Toreth right? Was the _true_ reason he'd invited Toreth into the sim so he could maneuver the man into a corner where he'd _have_ to come looking for revenge in order to redeem his bruised and battered self-esteem?

Warrick swallowed hard, trying his best to get his breathing under control. He should be afraid, he should be resisting, he should be pushing Toreth away, using his corporate status as a blockade to stop Toreth now, before things went too far.

Instead, he asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"I can tell you what I'd _like_ to do. I've been thinking about it all afternoon."

Toreth grabbed Warrick's wrists and pinned them against the car in a vice-like grip. The suddenness of the move took Warrick by surprise, causing him to struggle. Toreth used his strength and body weight to hold Warrick against the car, and Warrick quickly stilled, although his heart continued to race.

"I don't care if I did have a safe-word," Toreth began, his tone low and menacing. "You paralyzed me and then took advantage of it. You manipulated me and made me beg you to not stop. You may not think of it as rape, but it was pretty damn close, and an utterly suicidal action for you to take against a para-investigator.

"Do you know how many different kinds of drugs I have access to? There's one that enhances the effect of alcohol – a drop in a glass of wine will make you falling-down drunk. You'd be unable to fight me – you wouldn't even consider that you _should_ – as I'd lead you up to my room and bind you to the bed. I've been debating what to use, how you'd look, in different restraints. Ropes are easy – I'd remove your shirt and tie first, so your tie is an option too. But I've always been partial to the way metal sounds – handcuffs, chains, manacles – I think silver would look quite nice against your skin. I could easily bring a pair of handcuffs with me from work.

"After I have you secured to the bed, I'd begin to remove the rest of your clothing – first your trousers, then your pants. The air in the room is warm, but you'd be shivering in fear – or is it anticipation – of what I'm about to do.

"I have another drug that enhances pain – just one light touch on your arm or your back would make you scream out in agony. I'd have to gag you to keep you from disturbing the people in the adjoining rooms. Can you imagine how it would feel as I thrust my cock inside you? And I could make it last for hours. Just when you think you'd have some relief by passing out, I'd use another drug to revive you and bring you back to consciousness. You'd finally understand what a real rape was all about.

"Then I'd switch to the last drug – one that enhances your pleasure. I'd remove the gag so I could hear you plead, hear you beg, like you made me do…more, harder, don't stop… I'd keep you on the edge, refusing to let you come…"

Warrick was breathing heavily now, his forehead beginning to glisten with a light sheen of sweat. He couldn't hide what the heavy weight and hands keeping him prisoner were doing to him, how Toreth's words were making him burn. He could feel himself building towards orgasm with each dark word of promise as it was whispered in his ear. His cock was so hard it hurt, pressed up against the unyielding steel of the car. Toreth's hips pumped rhythmically against his arse, and he couldn't keep from pushing back.

"But it's only revenge if I do something to you that you don't want me to do, something that you won't like, and I think you'd like this too much."

If Warrick hadn't been leaning against the car, he would have fallen when Toreth let go of him and stepped back.

"No – don't stop, please—"

As soon as he said the words – almost the same words that Toreth had uttered in the sim – he knew he'd lost. He didn't even have to turn around to see the triumphant smile on Toreth's face.

Trying to regain his composure, he rested a moment against the car – until he heard footsteps walking away. Before he could think better of it, he turned and called out, "Wait!"

Toreth stopped, but didn't move to look back. Damn bastard was going to make him work for it.

Warrick walked slowly to stand by Toreth's side. "How did you get here?"

"Taxi."

"Do you want a lift back?"

Toreth gave him an appraising look before answering, "Will you come up to my room?"

Warrick hesitated. What was he doing? Why was he continuing to play into this man's hands? Toreth was obviously more skilled at this sexual game. Toreth had won – he had his revenge, and he'd had it without causing any major blood loss or injury. They were even; Warrick should let it go.

But he couldn't.

"No drugs."

Toreth smiled. "That was just part of the fantasy - but, fine. No drugs for tonight." He paused, and the smile changed to something more serious. "I won't do anything you don't want me to, either. What do you say?"

Warrick thought about where he'd be twenty or thirty years from now – reaping the rewards of successfully marketing the sim, but lonely and alone, never taking a chance, always playing it safe, looking back at this moment…

"Sure. Why not?"


End file.
